How Are Those Return-to-Office Mandates Working Out?

“Back to the office” has become a growing chorus from employers in different industries for a whole host of reasons: higher productivity; greater innovative thinking—two heads, or 50, are better than one; and even an enhanced healthfulness, according to some.

But are employees complying with this push? Placer.ai’s Nationwide Office Building Index recently looked at data on usage of 800 office buildings in the first five months of the year. The results in its June 2023 recap don’t reflect a roaring rush back to the office. In 60 percent of the buildings, office populations are higher than their pre-pandemic levels, but many workers still aren’t returning.

Indeed, in a separate measure that uses different criteria, Kastle Systems reports that office attendance has once again dipped below the 50 percent mark across 10 major U.S. cities in recent weeks, despite the mandates. 

However, Placer.ai’s results represent a mixed bag. For instance, it found that even workers who go into the office stay for a shorter workday than they did four years ago. Nevertheless, foot traffic to offices has reached its highest level since before Covid-19.

The numbers vary widely based on geography. Tech-centric San Francisco falls behind other cities like New York, Washington, D.C., and Miami, which are among the more populated office locales. Overall, though, all the cities in the study reflect greater recovery this past June than during the first half of the year.

Some cities are worth noting for their differences. Denver’s and Miami’s June 2023 numbers posted the smallest visit gap compared with four years ago. In San Francisco, the visit gap shrunk 55 percent versus four years ago.

From: BenefitsPRO